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AP US Government and Politics Blizzard Bag 2014 -2015 Constitutional Foundations
1. Which of the following was a perceived weakness of the Articles of Confederation?
A. It did not provide for the creation of a national army.
B. It included a bicameral legislature.
C. It did not grant any power to state governments.
D. It provided for a weak central government.
E. It did not provide protection from foreign nations.
2. Which major event sparked the first argument over national supremacy versus states' rights?
A. The Boston Tea Party
B. The Nullification Crisis
C. Shays's Rebellion
D. The Whiskey Rebellion
E. The American Revolution
3. How did the framers of the Constitution approach the issue of slavery?
A. They set a date for abolition in the northern states.
B. They added the emancipation of slaves to the Bill of Rights.
C. They chose to remain silent about slavery in the Constitution.
D. They argued for the immediate end to the slave trade.
E. They discussed the right to own slaves in the preamble.
4. James Madison would associate a "faction" with the present-day term
A. bureaucracy
B. lobbyist
C. special interest group
D. political party
E. Democrat
5. The origins of the American political system are founded on the idea that a representative
democracy
A. should share power between the federal and state governments
B. needs to reflect the consent of the governed
C. should create a separation between church and state
D. needs an electoral college system
E. creates the same set of laws for all people
6. Which of the following best relates to the "elastic clause" as it applies to the U.S.
Constitution?
A. Powers given to the federal government
B. Separation of church and state
C. Taxation of imports
D. Protection for the institution of slavery
E. Political dominance of the state governments
7. Which Antifederalists led the opposition to the Constitution?
A. John Adams and James Madison
B. Alexander Hamilton and John Jay
C. John Jay and George Washington
D. Samuel Adams and Patrick Henry
E. Patrick Henry and George Washington
8. Who among the following would assert that upper class society should control the political
agenda?
A. A Republican
B. An independent
C. An elitist
D. A pluralist
E. A Democrat
9. The Tenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution does which of the following?
A. Claims that although all officials are able to exercise power, they are still held
accountable to the people
B. Declares that state governments must share power with local governments
C. Grants the three federal government branches certain powers over each other
D. Declares that state governments and individuals have rights to any powers not
specifically enumerated to the federal government
E. Divides responsibilities between the three branches of federal government
10. All of the following statements regarding political parties are true EXCEPT:
A. A shift in party loyalty is known as party realignment.
B. They are formed by people with similar needs and values.
C. Third parties have little impact on the political process.
D. The United States is dominated by a two-party system.
E. The first political parties to form were the Federalists and Democratic-Republicans.
11. The group theory of politics that involves different groups all vying for control of the policy
agenda with no single group emerging, forcing them to work together is called
A. class theory
B. pluralism
C. bureaucratic theory
D. elite theory
E. hyperpluralism
12. Hyperpluralism is characterized by
A. a form of democracy that relies on the consent of the governed
B. a conservative or strict interpretation of the Constitution
C. an agenda that results from heavy interaction with linkage institutions
D. numerous interest groups vying for control that results in government gridlock
E. who gets what, when, how, and why
13. How are citizens affected by the federal system?
A. The federal government derives authority from the state governments.
B. All power is held by independent states.
C. All forms of governments share power and enact and enforce laws upon the
citizens.
D. Only the federal government has to agree to constitutional changes.
E. Citizens have no power to voice their opinions.
14.
It is emphatically the province and duty of the judicial department to say what the law is . . . a
law repugnant to the Constitution is void.
—John Marshall, 1803
Chief Justice John Marshall spoke these words in regard to which landmark Supreme Court
case?
A. McCulloch v. Maryland
B. Gibbons v. Ogden
C. Barron v. Baltimore
D. Fletcher v. Peck
E. Marbury v. Madison
15. Which of the following was a result of competitive federalism during the late 1900s?
A. Federal programs greatly infringed upon local interests.
B. States were given more responsibility.
C. Federal programs were eliminated.
D. National and state governments worked independently from one another.
E. There was an increase in the level of federal involvement in local affairs.